Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have raised this government's faulty project assessment policy many times as an MLA, and here I go again.

Cabinet approved the project assessment policy on April 13th, 2017. The project assessment policy requires quote, "any technical advice and evidence provided to boards by the respective staff is in line with legislation, cabinet direction, and ministerial policies established under this policy." This policy reads like a way of muzzling our scientists and preventing presentation of evidence that may not be consistent with Cabinet's way of thinking. My concerns...

I'm losing my mind here. I'll retract that, Madam Chair.

Committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 81319(2), Committee Report 4219(2), Committee Report 4819(2), Bill 66, Bill 67, Bill 73, and Bill 76. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I want to start by saying that I have the greatest respect for my colleague from Hay River South, and I do believe that he brings forward this motion with, you know, integrity and the greatest, you know, intention of trying to show leadership and do the right thing. And I do commend him for doing that. And I appreciate all the work that he does for his constituents and so on. But I respectfully disagree. I think there are others that will use this as a reason to say I think it feeds into a narrative that, you know, politicians are paid too much, work too...

Merci, Monsieur le President. I am going to be voting against this supplementary appropriation. It contains a $27.75 million settlement on the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link.

The original cost of this project, as we learned yesterday, Mr. Speaker, was $81.3 million. It has now ballooned to $194 million. That's more than twice the original cost estimate. And I think part of the problem, Mr. Speaker, is that this was done as a P3, and P3s lead to these kind of unexpected, unanticipated, conclusions. And this isn't the first time we've had to have supplementary appropriations brought forward to this...

Okay. How come it did last time? Is it crafted differently this time? What's the difference here, and thanks, Madam la Presidente.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following two documents: March 28th, 2023, CBC News story, "Nunavut flips stance on caribou protection again, now supports development ban on calving grounds; and, February 24th, 2023, Government of Nunavut Response to Final Written Submissions on the Nunavut Land Use Plan. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I don't want to prolong this. I guess I would urge the Minister and the staff to try to find a way to get that done before the end of this Assembly. You know, legislative proposal, it doesn't have to be super detailed. Just tell us what you want to do in phase two and start talking to people now about it. So if you can do it before the end of the Assembly, please do it. Thanks, Madam Chair. That's all I got.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister. Of course, I am not opposed to collecting data but triggering an environmental assessment while a regional study is going on? That's ridiculous. I am concerned that this government seems to think that it's a good idea to have a regional study as requested by the Tlicho government yet push ahead with a road at the same time that will have irreversible impacts on caribou. So can the Premier tell us what is the point of doing a regional study if a separate environmental assessment is triggered for the Lockhart AllSeason Road? Mahsi, Mr...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Kind of seems like a lifetime ago but I actually served on city council in Yellowknife in 1997 to 2006, and I remember being at probably more than one conventions of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities where motions were passed, asking for changes to this piece of legislation. And so, you know, fast forward to what I can't even do the math anymore 20 years later, almost 20 years later, 25 years, whatever, and some of those changes are in this bill. And so I want to commend the department for getting around to those changes. And I you know, I think this...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Premier as I seem to get different answers from different Ministers on whether this government intends to plow ahead with an allweather road project during a regional study.

So, can the Premier tell us whether it is the intention of this government to submit land use permit and water license applications for the Lockhart AllSeason Road that will undoubtedly trigger an environmental assessment while a regional study is underway. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.